My goal is to achieve the perfect nails — I was a nail-biter for years. For some people it’s to run a four-minute mile (I don’t understand it; I think that would be horrible and unfun), others want to lose write a book, or lose weight.
Whatever your goal, the most important thing to contribute to your success is going to be support. Whether that’s your mom buying you 30+ different colors of nail polish so you can experiment and have fun while resisting the urge to bite, or signing up for a weight loss program to help you through your journey, having that support is crucial to your success.
Jenny Craig boasts on its website that “members on Jenny Craig lose 3x more weight than dieting on their own” and that number is due to their unparalleled support program. That certainly proved to be true for one happy client.
Meet Jacqueline Adan.
Six years ago, just months away from her 25th birthday, Jacqueline took a trip to Disneyland with her sister and boyfriend, "I had to rent a wheelchair because I could barely make it walking to the front gate. I was so embarrassed about how I physically could not walk and that my weight had become so bad that I needed a wheel chair to get around. I remember wheeling around Disneyland and feeling like everyone was staring at me, judging me, and looking at this fat girl on wheels who couldn’t even walk! I was ashamed!" The visit to Disneyland, for Jacqueline, was spent in the wheelchair she was using to get around the park while she watched as they rode rides she couldn't fit into. The biggest moment of clarity for her was going through a turnstile when she got stuck. Shetold Today that she was "mortified" and had cried about the incident in the bathroom. She decided she needed to make a change in her life.
For the first time in four years she stepped onto a scale.
She knew it was time to make a change, and so she called Jenny Craig, "not knowing how much that one phone call would change my whole life!" Jenny Craig weighed Jacqueline when she came in, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the number on the scale. “I thought I was going to pass out,” Jacqueline said during her interview with Today. “This could not be real life.”
Jacqueline weighed 510 pounds.
"I broke down and started crying right there in Jenny Craig," she has said. Once she calmed down she set her target goal for 199 lbs.
Her first year, Jacqueline lost 100 lbs.
And she went back to Disneyland. She's stated that the hardest thing for her to do was walk through those turnstiles, but "I wasn’t going to allow my weight to stop me from living my life any more."
This time she fit.
By the next time she went back, Christmas eve of 2013, she had lost 200 lbs. It was then that her boyfriend, Kevin, proposed. He had been by her side through all of this, regardless of her weight or size, but she was determined to get married wearing a dress that wasn't made for plus-size brides.
This time she fit.
By the next time she went back, Christmas eve of 2013, she had lost 200 lbs. It was then that her boyfriend, Kevin, proposed. He had been by her side through all of this, regardless of her weight or size, but she was determined to get married wearing a dress that wasn't made for plus-size brides.
Jacqueline has been raising awareness and blogging about her weight loss journey.
She's kept up with social media, inspiring her followers and keeping it real. Her blog documents what she's been going through and she has an etsy shop where she sells t-shirts which say, big and bold, "I CAN AND I WILL" on the front, and #JacquelinesJourney on the back. She posts workout shots and snippets of her life, motivating others, and not shying away when things get difficult or discouraging.
She's been open about the after-effects of losing 350lbs.
This includes the loose skin. Jacqueline has posted a number of pictures which help remind people that while she may look phenomenal now, it's been a journey and everyone has fought a battle you may not be able to see.
She has said that, "I am trying to be okay with it, but mentally, it still causes me a lot of issues. Physically, it is causing me headaches, severe neck and back pain, and rashes/irritation. On top of all of the medical issues the extra skin is causing me, I am still in the process of fighting my insurance company to cover the costs of surgery because they are deeming it cosmetic." Through crowdfunding and the sales of her etsy t-shirts she's been raising the money required.
She has said that, "I am trying to be okay with it, but mentally, it still causes me a lot of issues. Physically, it is causing me headaches, severe neck and back pain, and rashes/irritation. On top of all of the medical issues the extra skin is causing me, I am still in the process of fighting my insurance company to cover the costs of surgery because they are deeming it cosmetic." Through crowdfunding and the sales of her etsy t-shirts she's been raising the money required.
On July 29th, Jacqueline had surgery!
Her blog post documented the myriad emotions she was experiencing the day before. They ranged from; excited, nervous, angry "for even getting to this point where I even have to be having surgery in the first place. I am mad that all of this could have easily been avoided if I just made better choices," and relieved. She's also thankful for the support, love, and encouragement she's had along the way.
She has continued documenting her post-surgery progress.
It hasn't been easy, but she's doing great. Her confidence (and awesome sense of humor) shine through her writing, "I cannot believe that it has already been 3 weeks! My appointment went great…except for the whole taking out the stitches in my butt…that part was not so great."
These days her clothes don't fit so well.
After losing over 350 lbs it would be shocking if they did!
She's been through a remarkable transformation, and while she's still sticking with Jenny Craig, there's more to celebrate. "With each weigh in, I find myself focusing on the non scale victories and that is a victory in itself. Because with each weigh in, I am getting stronger, braver, tougher and getting that much closer to loving my body and myself, no matter what the scale says." But that scale says 160 lbs — 39 lbs under her original goal! Or, at least, it did when she still had 30 lbs of excess skin. We'll stay tuned for the next Jenny Craig weigh-in but we already know it's going to be very exciting!
She's been through a remarkable transformation, and while she's still sticking with Jenny Craig, there's more to celebrate. "With each weigh in, I find myself focusing on the non scale victories and that is a victory in itself. Because with each weigh in, I am getting stronger, braver, tougher and getting that much closer to loving my body and myself, no matter what the scale says." But that scale says 160 lbs — 39 lbs under her original goal! Or, at least, it did when she still had 30 lbs of excess skin. We'll stay tuned for the next Jenny Craig weigh-in but we already know it's going to be very exciting!
Enjoy the shopping!
You've certainly earned it! And who out there isn't super-jealous that you have the world's best excuse to buy an entirely new wardrobe!
Congratulations, Jacqueline!
Congratulations, Jacqueline!
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